What purpose does the vertical electrophoresis chamber serve in SDS-PAGE?

The vertical electrophoresis chamber in SDS-PAGE serves the critical role of separating proteins based on their size. In this technique, proteins are denatured and coated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which imparts a negative charge to the proteins. When an electric current is applied in the vertical chamber, the proteins migrate through a polyacrylamide gel matrix. Smaller proteins move through the pores of the gel more easily and travel further than larger ones, which results in the separation of the proteins based on size as they migrate through the gel during the electrophoresis process.

The design of the vertical chamber specifically ensures that the proteins can be effectively resolved as they are forced away from the origin, allowing for clear and distinct bands to form corresponding to different proteins, which can then be analyzed further. This separation is fundamental for various applications, such as protein characterization, identification, and quantification in research and clinical diagnostics.